Thursday’s Mini-Report, 5.8.14

* Ukraine: “Rebels in eastern Ukraine said on Thursday that they would proceed with a referendum this weekend seeking autonomy, even though President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Wednesday had appeared to withdraw his support for the vote.”

* VA: “In an extremely rare move, the House Veterans Affairs Committee voted to slap VA officials with subpoenas amid investigations into whether veterans died while waiting for primary health care. The Republican-led committee voted unanimously to issue subpoenas for all emails and correspondence between VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and other top VA officials dating back to April 9.”

* Oklahoma: “Oklahoma’s Attorney General has agreed to a 6-month stay of execution for Charles Warner, a death row inmate scheduled to die on May 13, after the April 29 attempt to put inmate Clayton Lockett to death went horribly awry. That execution ignited a national debate over the lethal injection and the death penalty in America.”

* OPIC divides the GOP: “The House on Thursday passed a measure to reauthorize the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and promote expanding electricity access in Africa despite no votes from 115 Republicans. Passed 297-117, the bill would direct the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to invest in expanding access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa as part of a three-year reauthorization.”

* In case North Korea weren’t quite repugnant enough, it’s been reduced to racists screeds: “[P]art of the tirade declared, ‘It would be perfect for Obama to live with a group of monkeys in the world’s largest African natural zoo…. He is a crossbreed with unclear blood,’ the North says.”

* NSA: “The House Intelligence Committee passed a surveillance reform bill Thursday by voice vote, a measure identical to one approved by the House Judiciary Committee the day before. With the House Intelligence Committee’s approval, the first major reforms to U.S. surveillance law stand a decent chance of becoming law by the end of the year. It also means avoiding a divisive battle on the House floor and spares the Republican leadership in the House from having to take sides.”

* Kansas: “Gov. Sam Brownback said Tuesday that he will talk with the FBI if he is contacted about a reported investigation into allegations about the awarding of contracts to privatize the state’s Medicaid program.” The Republican governor refused to say whether he’s already spoken to the FBI.

* It sounds as if we don’t really have a deficit problem: “The federal government had a budget surplus of $114 billion in April, the Congressional Budget Office estimated Wednesday. That is $1 billion more than a year ago and would be the biggest April surplus since 2008.”

* A sharp piece from Paul Waldman on the similarities between all of the various manufactured White House faux-controversies: “[A] clear pattern has emerged on how these scandals have unfolded, one that might be helpful to keep in mind as we start paying attention to Benghazi again.”